Clip for writing instruments



June 21, 1949. N; COLSTAD 2,473,689

*CLIP FOR WRITING INSTRUMENTS Filed Jan. 24, 1945 Patented June 21, 1949 Delaware This; invention relates; to, a :clip for, a writing instrument and has speciaL reference. t0,a retain.-. ing means suitable for detachably engaging any article carried on the person such as a fountain pen,-;mechanical; pencil cliniealithermom e or 5 thalike, to a pocket:

More particularly this-invention zrelates :to a-, clip iorassociation with aslotted cap .ot a-writing instrument or the alike -il'l ,;which thetarm oft-thee clipris disposed exteriorlylof. a iwallzof a. cap, there 1 being means on; theearmnextending through-the; slotoi the cap with resilientrmeans disposed int e--- riorly of I the.- .Wall of thecap ,and engaging then; extending means for yieI-dably maintaining, the arm in anoperative position with respect-to -the exterior wall .of;t he-,cap.:

It is usual in clips forwriting instrumentsand:- the like to provide an-arm with-one end thereof-3* fixably secured; to the cap of the writing instru -w ment and the free'end thereof detachably holdingr between it and the cap. the materialof a pocke or. the-like in which the-writi nginstrument 15;; held. The arm fordetachably-holding the writingr instrument ordinarily is resilient to permit ar'fiexw ing in a direction to and away fromthe-cap;

Inarticles such as fountainrvpen s andmechanical pencils, and particularlythose of higher quah ity; the findings, including, the clip, aregusuallym; of'gold platedoragold filled stock. To the. best :of myknowleclse steel ,is the material which-;giv es;; the, most resiliency and-is therefore particularly; well suited for use in detachably engaginsuthe-s; pocket or other element :to ,Which-thewvritin instrumentis to be detachably-secured However cli fiicultyis experienced in coating the steel, with yold or otherprecious metal to. obtain, goodwear ing characteristics, Brass; agrrtl silvenalloys; formrr" thebest base forgolcl and are "used for.the ,rnost part on quality merchandise, but the resilient;- characteristicsof these'two materials are-not as 40 satisfactory as those of steels 'I'hepresent invene: 1 tion, therefore, makes useof the desirable charac: teristics of the silver orcopper alloys, which alloyscanbe satisfactorily plated or filled with gold-and; makes use of the better qualities ofsteel sozfar as its resilient characteristicsare-concerned;

Since there is some-resiliency in the silverlands}- cop fir alloys, the tensionon the arm, formed- 0161.. these alloys is relieved bya spring formed gofsteel, thesilveror copper alloys plated or filled with gold being mounted exteriorlyof the cap andsthel-steeh spring member being mounted, interiorly of r the cap. In this association the steelco mpensates for I the comparative inelasticity of they arin to prevent the armof, the clip frombeing-iiexedfbeyondrits a 21 elastic limit -and the 'brassr o'r, silver alloys com--., pensate mm hesno. quan yioiis e si u see rlt-pt cio s-smtalsa lQneoi thtobiects-ioftthisinv nti risrtap m ee a TnQLflie abover' iotedt ypefw 1th .is :s mp en onst ii tif .Jandz n-operat n, s mparativ l y Y. ki aml ac u e a clis. dum Another iobiectof-rthissnr nt on m ter-prov d at above; men ioned 1t pes/ er n-i rmthereof.isformedgof ane alfifi asubs antiaH-yrigid: charaeter and any interiorlygdispsseamemben i s l tt p e nt-1+ the},arm' m'embenexbeedingritselastic limits in its; perationutoqdetachably n age the ppc et r o her port" :1 lotr fiea s r a p e -i Qthe 0, a ts and-.aclvantages -0f thisnvent will. h re kaf e elmets-particu arly oints wu i' idx'for a oregcompl e. nder tan i of the ch'aracteristiciieatures or his invention;reference ay some h d o:mentor n ;des r t w n?- taken -.tosther-.witlr;the accompan ing drawin inwllhi illatterz' Fig.2 is.an enlargeclfiragmentaryyview of the-.1; ap; a y-linpmemberslshowing a por i e f-: in; cross-s'e'tion;

Fig",,;3,isf a,.. view similar to Eig 2 showing: a;;.- cliahgedzposition onthe cliplmembe i Fig. 4 is an" enlarged perspective view-o1jtheir. spring-,1 for. the clip member Eig,.. 5,,is a" fragmentary sectional view taken on ,the line lEF-B of-Fig 2 and Eig fijis ayiew similartoFig ;5. showing;a modiie fiQation qflth clip cons ruction- Reerring now to the other. drawings and more; a particularly Figsh l to 5', inclusive;.thereof;"a;;, foiintain De 0 l is shown; comprising ,a; barrel 1 po'r'tion ll and alcam slrtionvl2, the barrel 'andi-x can portions being shown asof plastiemat'erialy-f. although ,apreciousmetal orlvarious other materials oi rigidj or semierigideharacteremay be used"; 1 in plaee thereof; s Thescap andrzbarrel portion are detaoh'ablysepured together. asiby means of a'frica 1 tion, fit,, screw-threads, or the like; as is generally practiced in the art. While a fountain penisi'. shown,in ;.the ,d-rawing andv'will hereinafter be desqribed in ,detailistill itshould be understood?" that, thi invention: may: bez-sincorporated" ina mechanical"pencil;-a,clinical;thermometer or any'= writing; structure iOIl'OtHGIPdQViCE, which is carried upon a; person ior'zthingin a detachable relation-w The; cam;lziflisislotteds as v-at' ,l3;' the slot exliendingf-.= "through the entire: thickness of th 1;

material of the cap. An arm I4 is disposed exteriorly of the wall of the cap, the arm having a rounded or substantially ball-pointed free end portion I5 which in a condition of rest bears against the outer wall of the cap. The other end of the arm I4 is of channel shape and enlarged with respect to the free end portion to receive a box-shaped member I6, the box-shaped member being soldered or otherwise fixably secured to the arm Within the channel formation thereof. The box-shaped member extends through the slot I3 from the arm I4, terminating interiorly of the cap.

The member I6 is formed of a strip of material preferably of the same base material as that of the arm I4, and free ends of the strip abutting within the channel of the arm I4 and being soldered together with the arm I4 in the same operation. Referring more particularly to Fig. 6

of the drawing, the box-shaped portion I! instead of being formed separately as in Fig. 5, of a strip of material, is formed integrally with the arm I4, ears I8 of a reduced thickness extending from the arm through the slot I3 in a parallel spaced-apart relation with the free ends of the ears being bent at right angles to each other interiorly of the cap to an abutting relation. The ears I8 formed integrally with the arm I 4 form a box the same as the box-like member I 6 formed by a strip of material soldered to the arm, and i in both instances guide the movement of the arm I4 in a direction toward and away from the cap.

In order to provide tension against the movement of the arm I4 away from the wall of the cap to hold the arm resiliently in its position of rest with the ball I5 bearing against the wall of the cap and the box-like member extending through the slot I 3, a spring I 9 in the shape substantially of a staple is provided, the legs 20 of the spring IS preferably having sharp pointed ends 2I. The spring I9 is bowed over an intermediate portion between the pointed ends of the legs and the closed end portion 22 thereof, the pointed ends piercing the material of the cap when in position within the box-like member I6 to hold the spring against displacement, the closed end 22 of the spring being free to ride against the inner Wall of the cap when the spring is flexed in the operation of the clip, which will now be described.

When in position in the cap the spring I9 has its bowed intermediate portion bearing against the inner end of the box-like member I6. The pointed end prevents displacement of the spring from its original position and movement of the arm I4 in a direction away from the exterior wall of the cap depresses the bowed portion and provides tension thereby to resist the movement of the arm I4 in a direction away from the cap. Since the pointed ends of the spring are fixed, the expansion in a longitudinal direction of the spring as it is compressed by the action of the arm is accommodated by the movement of the free rounded end 22 of the spring in its movement upwardly in the cap against the inner wall thereof.

The clip I4 is preferably formed of a copper base alloy or a silver alloy, although a nickel silver or other similar material may be likewise used, such a material having the characteristics of taking a satisfactory plate or fill of a precious metal such as gold. The copper base or silver alloy has some resiliency but in a comparative sense lacks much of the resiliency of steel, as has been mentioned above. Spring I9 is strong enough to hold the arm I4 of the clip under substantial tension but is not strong enough to permit the arm I4 to flex beyond its elastic limits. However, should the arm I4 take a set the spring I! would continue to hold the arm under tension so as to accomplish its function in permitting the instrument to be readily attached and detached in its position of storage.

The arm I4 may be substantially rigid and the full action of its movement toward and away from the cap may be accommodated by the spring II. However, should there be some resiliency in the arm I4, after such resiliency has been taken up, the spring I I will thereafter act to place the arm I4 under tension.

While two embodiments of this invention is herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various modifications of the invention will hereinafter be apparent to those skilled in the art, and therefore this invention is to be limited only by the prior art and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a slotted cap of a writing instrument or the like, of clip means comprising an arm disposed exteriorly of a wall of the cap, a rigid projection on said arm extending through said slot, said rigid projection having an angularly extending portion spaced from the inside wall of said cap and resilient means engaged between said angularly extending portion and said cap wall for yieldably urging said arm against said exterior wall.

2. The combination with a slotted cap of a writing instrument or the like, of clip means comprising an arm disposed exteriorly of a wall of the cap, a rigid projection on said arm extending through said slot, said rigid projection having an angularly extending portion spaced from the inside wall of said cap and an arched resilient member engaged between said angularly extending portion and said cap wall at an intermediate portion of said member for yieldably urging said arm against said exterior wall.

3. The combination with a slotted cap of a writing instrument or the like, of clip means comprising an arm disposed exteriorly of a wall of the cap, a, box-shaped member extending from said arm through said slot, and an arched resilient member disposed interiorly of the wall of said cap and extending through said box-shaped member, one end of said resilient member being fixed and the other end being movable relative to the interior wall of said cap, and an intermediate portion of said resilient member engaging a portion of said box-shaped member for yieldably urgin said arm against said exterior wall.

4. The combination with a slotted cap of a writing instrument or the like, of clip means comprising a rigid arm disposed exteriorly of a wall of the cap, a box-shaped member formed integrally with said arm and extending through said slot, and an arched resilient member disposed interiorly of the wall of said cap and extending through said box-shaped member, one end of said resilient member being fixed and the other end being movable relative to the interior wall of said cap, and an intermediate portion of said resilient member engaging a portion of said box-shaped member for yieldably urging said arm against said outer cap wall.

5. The combination with a slotted cap of a 5' writing instrument or the like, of clip means wall of the cap, a box-shaped member formed integrally with said arm and extending through said slot, and a U-shaped arched resilient member disposed interiorly oi the wall of said cap and extending through said box-shaped member, the open ends of said resilient member being sharp to engage fixedly said inner wall and the 6 box-shaped member, the open end of said resilient member being fixed and the other end being movable relative to the interior wall of said cap, and an intermediate portion of said resilient member engaging said box-shaped member for yieldably urging said arm against said outer cap wall.

CHARLES N. COLSTAD.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the fiie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,085,174 Sheafier Jan. 27, 1914 1,180,915 Goldsmith Apr. 25, 1916 2,237,155 Malis Apr. 1, 1941 

